Unexpected Beginning
by Drollittle
Summary: Disability, or advantage? Muggles' wisdom and animagi's curiosity. Second Generation. Introducing the greatest original character ever.
1. Chapter 1

Dedicated to E.

oOo

Hermione and Ron Weasley had dealt with surprises. They had been thrown into impossible, desparate situations, and had learned to keep their wits about them. Even so, nothing had ever happened quite like this.

Hermione and Ron thought they knew what was important, and they thought they knew what they wanted in life, but they found themselves faced with a permanent and unpredictable change of plans. A third child.

Everything about this child was unexpected. She was born in April five years after Hugo and seven years after Rose, when they were both old enough to spend weekdays at the little Weasley primary school taught by Grandma Molly and Percy's wife, Aunt Audrey, and Ron and Hermione had thought to devote themselves more fully to their careers. Born small with relaxed, floppy arms and legs, the healers had looked surprised and said this was something that usually only happened to muggles.

Of course, every baby was sweet, and this one was even cuter, her baby features accentuated and her cry soft and infrequent. She had lovely grey eyes and a Hermione-brown whisp of hair, but she was obviously different and they were terrified by what that might mean later in life, for a witch. They named her Emilia Minerva.

It usually only happened to muggles. Hermione sent Ron to the nearest muggle bookstore, and then another, and another until he found books about Down Syndrome.

"The twenty-first chromosome is duplicated, causing abnormalities such as a small nose, short stature and short fingers, speech impediment and mental disability..." Hermione read aloud.

"The twenty-first Christmas whatsome?"

"I don't know Ron. These x-shaped things, see the picture, apparently we have these to carry genetic information in our cells."

"Prison cells? Or do you mean those teletablets you talk to your parents on?"

"No, not cell phones. Just cells. They are in our bodies."

"In muggle's bodies you mean."

"No Ron, in ours too. Oh, I'm sure my parents will understand all this. They're coming on Tuesday, we can talk about chromosomes then. Let's look at the chapter on education."

"Well, she messes her diaper just like other babies, don't you Emilittlia?"

From what they gathered, Emilia would have difficulty learning. She might not even be able to read fluently, and academic superiority was out of the picture. Hermione kept telling herself it wasn't important, but deep down her heart was breaking for her daughter.

She would be less physically coordinated than average. While Ron took the older kids over to practice flying with Harry's and George's families, he wondered if he would ever be able to teach Emilia to fly.

On September first Ron and Hermione went to wave goodbye to their niece Victoire and as-good-as-nephew Teddy Lupin. Emilia was four months old. Most babies would be strong enough to hold their heads upright, but Emilia's muscles were weaker, so she still lay supported in her pram as they strolled through King's Cross Station.

It was an exciting day for the Hogwarts students. Hermione and Ron wished they could celebrate it without the aching doubts—would Emilia be able to go to Hogwarts?

On the platform Emilia was cuddled by all the extended family. Teddy and Victoire, having visited often during the summer and acted as extra miniature parents to her, had trouble letting Emilia go.

"Baby Emmie, will you be crawling when we see you again at Christmas?" Teddy grinned at her and popped out a pair of hairy elf ears, which made Emilia laugh. "Just don't go too fast for your mum and dad, right EmmieEmmie?" He touched her nose, then hugged Harry, promised to be good at Hogwarts and send lots of owls, and ran off to join his friend Desmond Wood, who was juggling dirigible plums.

"I will miss you so much! Christmas is too long away." Murmured Victoire, rocking Emilia in her arms. Emilia said "aay" with a smile and the tear that had started to gather in Victoire's eye was gone.

"Oh look at your smile! You always make me happy, ma petite, and Christmas isn't so far is it? I love you!" Victoire passed Emilia back to Hermione, hugged her, Ron, Rose and Hugo, and then went to her own family before boarding the train.

The students waved merrily out the windows, and the train blew steam, whistled, and moved away.

Ron and Hermione pushed the pram back out into the busy muggle station, talking to Hugo and Rose about Hogwarts. They shushed abruptly when a muggle woman in a purple dress stopped them to look, delighted, at their baby.

"She is adorable! So beautiful! What is her name?"

"Thanks," Hermione answered "her name is Emilia."

"I recognize that extra cuteness in her eyes," said the woman, "I have a daughter with Down Syndrome. She is almost twenty now, but she looked just like this. Hi sweet girl! Haha, look at that smile."

"Yeah, she has a great smile." Agreed Ron.

"You have a daughter with Down Syndrome?" Hermione asked, and the woman must have heard the hint of plea in her voice.

"Yes, she is wonderful; there have been some challenges but we have been so blessed to have her. You know...I'm sure my Jenny would love to meet Emilia. Here, I'm Julia McClure—" She shook their hands.

"Hermione Weasley"

"Ron Weasley. Nice to meet you. This is Rose and Hugo."

"Hi muggle lady!" Piped Hugo cheerily. Rose gasped. "Hugo! The interactual statue of secrecy!"

Ron quickly spoke over his children, "It would be great to meet your daughter!"

Julia McClure just smiled at Hugo and Rose, and said, "We live in Sutton. Would you come visit?"

"Yes!" Answered Hermione.

Julia rummaged in her purse. "I know I have a pen here somewhere, I'll write my number for you."

Ron almost offered her his quill, then remembered muggles didn't use quills. He was glad that Hermione kept a cell teletalker so they could use Julia's number to call her.

Julia found a pen and scribbled numbers on a ticket stub while saying, "Come to dinner, we can talk about school, I will tell you who the best therapists are...do you live in London?"

"No, we're...outside London...but we work in London. Not farther than an hour's travel to Sutton. We don't know anyone else with Down Syndrome, so we would really appreciate meeting Jenny. We will give you a call when we get home!"

"I will look forward to— Oh my, look at that! I have never seen such a friendly bird!" Exclaimed Julia.

A finch that had gotten in to the station had hopped up onto the edge of Emilia's pram. She waved a little hand and burbled happily at it, and it chirped in return.

"Shoo," said Ron

"Don't, Dad!" appealed Rose.

Ron flapped his hand at the finch, but instead of flying away it hopped down onto Emilia's blanket. It looked at her so intently, Julia was not the only muggle taking notice now. A few teletablet cameras snapped pictures of the adorable baby and bird, now cooing in unison.

Ron laughed nervously.

Hermione looked on. "It certainly seems to like Emmie." she commented with curiosity.

The finch calmly let Emilia grasp its tail, and continued to chirp prettily.

"No, Emmie, who knows where that bird has been!" moaned Ron, and then he frowned with a sudden misgiving, "or if it is even a bir—a normal bird, I mean what kind of bird...?"

"It's a common chaffinch," said Julia, "but you're right, it mightn't be very clean. I'm amazed it is letting her grab it! Maybe it is someone's escaped pet?"

As Julia said this Hermione was reaching into the pram and getting the finch out of Emilia's grasp, getting pecked in the process, and at last the little bird flew away from Hermione indignantly.

With a final promise to call Julia McClure, the Weasleys left the station.


	2. Chapter 2

HONK! HONK!

WOOF! WOOF!

"Taking a taxi might have been more comfortable for Emilia than other ways of travel, but it sure is slow!" Complained Ron.

"I am sorry sir, it would be faster if these dogs and cats would leave off running in front of the car." Answered the driver irritably. "I swear I am not carrying sausages under the bonnet!"

Hermione sighed as the taxi came to a stop, two dogs wagging their tails in front of the headlights. "At this point we might be able to walk to the McClure's house faster than ride."

"Yeah, probably so." Said Ron, throwing Emilia's recently emptied bottle into the diaper bag, eager to get out of his cramped seat. "We'll get out here, thanks!"

"I apologize for the animal problem!"

"It's not your fault," said Hermione, adding a generous tip as she paid the driver. Ron unbuckled Emilia's car seat. Hermione was getting used to animals behaving strangely around her baby, though she couldn't yet understand why.

The two dogs, a Labrador and a Terrier, followed the Weasleys to the sidewalk pavement, leaving the taxi free to drive away. Panting and sniffing around Ron's and Hermione's ankles, they strained to look into the baby carrier.

"They're going to wake her up, if they keep—"

"Goo!"

"—there. They woke her up. Hi pretty brown eyes! You _were_ sleeping so nicely..."

Emilia spotted the dogs and waved her hands in excitement. They responded, happy canine energy mounting in a duet of barks and leaps. Hermione and Ron walked up the street carrying Emilia, happy that they could hold hands because Grandma and Grandpa Granger had offered to take Rose and Hugo to the zoo for the afternoon.

"Looks like we're the ones at the zoo!" Said Ron. The terrier had abandoned them as they walked too far from its house, and shortly afterward the lab turned back also, but the dogs had been replaced by a ginger cat, and a couple crows hopping along. Turning onto another street, they were joined by a mouse (which stayed a fair distance from the cat) and then a big Newfoundland which boldly stuck its head into Emilia's carrier and drooled on her. She was delighted.

"It's number 28." Said Hermione, scanning the houses. "Nearly there."

"I'll be glad to get inside and lose this pack. We must be looking conspicuous to the muggles."

"Not in a magical way, though. They see animals every day...ohh no," Said Hermione, as a shadow passed overhead and she looked up at a huge green pterodactyl, circling down on them with a fair-haired rider on its back. "Those two have no sense of discretion!"

Ron grinned. "Gonna report them this time?"

"I really should."

The dinosaur landed in the middle of the street, and it's rider climbed off, her colorful jewelry glinting in the sun. She patted the Newfoundland when it ambled up to sniff her, and gave it a piece of some dried fruit from her bag.

"Hi Luna!" Said Ron brightly, and when the pterodactyl changed into a man, added "Hello Rolf!"

"Ron, Hermione, how are you?" Luna replied in her serene way.

"Good. What brings you here?" Said Hermione.

"That's a good question, darling. How did you know they were here?" Luna asked Rolf.

"I didn't know, I just had a feeling there was something important here. Someone worth seeing, worth following...so I followed the feeling, and here she is. A real little enchantress, you are!" He looked intently at Emilia.

"You had a feeling, about Emilia?" Hermione asked.

"When I was in animal form. I don't feel it anymore."

"From how far away?" Asked Ron.

Luna answered "We were coming south from The Leaky Cauldron, and Rolf turned this way when we were over that park, where muggles hit eggs about. I think tossing the eggs helps their birds learn to fly, once they're hatched."

"The golf course," said Hermione, not bothering to explain that the flying balls were not really eggs, "that's at least two kilometers from here! She must have attracted you like she does with animals. I wish I understood why."

"Hmm, yes, it is curious. I've never heard of anything like it." Agreed Rolf.

"But oh, we are already late for dinner with some muggle friends. I'm sorry Rolf, Luna, we need to go."

"It was very nice to see you two, I do hope you have a nice dinner."

"Give your twins a hug from us!"

"Rose and Hugo as well."

"Bye!"

"Oh, and you really ought to use a disillusionment charm at least, when you're flying over London!"

There was a wave of Luna's wand, a whoosh of air from Rolf's wings, and the green pterodactyl blended into the blue September sky as it rose up.

"Number 28, then, my dear?" Said Ron, offering Hermione his free arm and strolling up the sidewalk once again.

A young lady with straight brown hair, a small round nose and short stature answered the McClure's front door. She smiled amicably and said, "You must be the Weasleys. Come on in, this is our house here."

"Thank you! I am Ron." Ron said slowly and carefully. He was unsure of how to talk to her, but he shook her hand and returned her smile.

"I'm Jenny. Or sometimes Jennifer or Jen but I'm really, actually Jenny."

"Jenny is a nice name! I'm Hermione, and this is our baby, Emilia. I think I will get her out of the carrier now; she likes being held."

"Yeah, babies like to be held all the time! Ohohoh," chuckled Jenny, "such a cutie!"

Ron and Hermione stood and watched as Jenny made some extremely silly faces at Emilia. Ron laughed, but Hermione wasn't sure if she should...it wouldn't be nice to laugh _at_ Jenny...

A voice from the kitchen called, "Invite them to sit down in the living room, Jenny, I'll be there in a minute!"

"If you want you can sit on the sofa. I will sit on the chair. Would you like some apple juice or water?"

As they walked into the living room they caught a creamy, mushroomy smell from the kitchen. Jenny brought cups and drinks, sat on an armchair and resumed making faces at Emilia.

"Is that funny?" Jenny asked, scrunching up her lips and rolling her eyes.

"Yes, that is wonderful! Emilia is loving it!" Hermione let out a genuine laugh. She had to laugh at herself a little too, for her hesitation. Of course it was alright to laugh at Jenny when she was so obviously trying to be funny. Everyone loves having their humor appreciated; having a disability wouldn't make a difference in that.

Ron joined in. "She likes it if you do this:" he said, and made a buzzing sound while tickling Emilia's chin. Emilia chortled and Jenny clapped her hands. Ron said, "Try it!"

Between Ron and Jenny, Emmie was well entertained.

Julia appeared in the kitchen doorway, wiping her hands on her apron. "Welcome, I hope you didn't have trouble finding the house."

"No...we just got stuck in some...blockage."

"Oh yes, traffic can be terrible. It sounded like your little one is getting along with Jenny already! Is anyone hungry?"

"Could anyone not be hungry when it smells so good?" Asked Ron.

Hermione laid Emilia down on a blanket with a few toys while they ate. Over salad, Julia asked what they did for a living, and Hermione answered that she was in a government office.

"It's mostly paperwork, really, not very interesting. What about you, Julia?"

"I'm a software developer for Validsoft."

"Software!" Ron laughed. "Must be hard to eat with. I'll have to tell George about that...that could be good..."

Julia smiled at what seemed to her like a childish joke. "I just work on code for programs that prevent fraud and identity theft."

Ron gaped. "Identity theft? Polyju...how...?

Hermione rolled her eyes. She was fairly sure that "identity theft" had something to do with using people's bank numbers, birth dates or computer passwords, but thought she had better steer the conversation in another direction. She would just skim over Ron's job...

"And Ron is in business management. Jenny, are you in school, or doing other things?"

"I go to Transitions College classes, like cooking, job skills, and just fun with teachers and friends going in the community."

Julia served bowls of mushroom and tomato tortellini soup while she explained, "After secondary school we enrolled her in a special needs program for young adults. They do activities together and teach life skills, things she needs to be able to be independent."

"Will she be independent? Will Emmie, do you think, be able to take care of herself on her own when she grows up?" Asked Hermione.

"I don't know about Emmie—every person is different—but Jenny already does a lot of things for herself. She will probably always live here at home but it is important for her to feel independent in as many ways as possible. —Here, pass the rolls around— She does her own laundry and likes to go shopping, right, Jen?

"Yep. And reading and writing, and sewing."

Hermione was surprised. "Reading, writing, and sewing? What do you like to read?"

"Oh you know, I like funny books, emails with friends, recipes, and just any other things I like to read."

Julia said, "Jenny reads and writes better than many people with Down Syndrome, partly because we did a lot of work with her early on, so Emilia may be different and you will just have to see how Emilia learns, and it's ok if she doesn't learn as much as you hoped. Or, she might learn more than you expected—Jenny learned more than several people told us she could. You will figure things out as you go; I think that is the most helpful thing I was told by other parents when Jenny was little. You will get to know her and her strengths as she gets older and figure out what to do for school as each year comes. You can't predict now what she will be able to do, but don't let that worry you..." Julia could tell from Hermione's small cough that that was exactly what was worrying her. Julia spoke with soft sincerity, "As parents, sometimes you can't help worrying, but don't let your worries about the future stop you from enjoying the present. Emmie is a beautiful, lively baby and you can be very, very happy about that. When the future comes, it will become apparent what she can do, and you will keep loving her no matter what that is."

Ron hesitated, then said, "Has Jenny ever had trouble learning things that were _essential_, I mean things that, if she didn't learn, she or others could be in danger?"

"Hmm, well, I still don't send her out to travel alone in public, even though they have worked on riding the buses and underground in her college program. She is just too trusting of strangers. But, it is easy enough to always have someone with her."

Ron supposed that Julia wouldn't be able to understand his concerns about Emmie controlling her magic. He was afraid of Emmie becoming another Ariana Dumbledore, sheltered away to keep everyone safe, never able to go to out into the neighborhood, much less to Hogwarts.

"So, what about schools?" He asked. "Would you have ever considered sending Jenny to a boarding school? There is a great school that we went to, and our family..."

On the floor, Emilia said "da da da," as she sucked on a toy.

"Boarding school? No. Sorry, I don't like saying that anything is impossible—I can't predict what Emilia will be capable of, but as for us, I would never have sent Jenny to a boarding school. It was always important for me to be closely involved in her schooling, doing homework with her and meeting with the teachers. Local public schools and private therapists for speech and reading were best for us. "

They finished eating while Julia wrote down information about teachers and therapists. Hermione and Ron listened with feigned interest, knowing it would be no help to them. If Emmie kept attracting pterodactyls, sending her to a muggle school or muggle therapists was out of the question. Perhaps Ron and Hermione would have to become special education experts themselves.

Hermione said, "Jenny, you said you sew. What things do you sew?"

Jenny grinned, and asked her mum, "Should I get the present now?"

"Sure, Jenny." Said Julia, and as Jenny bounced upstairs, Julia said to Ron and Hermione, "Jenny made something for Emmie."

"A present! That is too nice of her!" Said Ron.

Jenny came back with a pink quilt. She put it over Emilia and tucked it right up to her chin. The quilt squares were a little out of line with each other, but it looked like it was made with love.

"There you go baby, to keep you warm." Said Jenny, while Emilia started to squirm with tiredness.

"It's beautiful!" Said Hermione.

"I am impressed that you made it yourself!" Added Ron. "I can't imagine doing something like that by hand."

"It took a lot of practice with the sewing machine, but Jenny is pretty good, and she loves making things." Said Julia proudly.

Emilia began complaining more loudly, so Hermione got out a bottle and mixed some formula.

"Could I try feeding her?" Asked Jenny.

"Yes, sure! You might want to sit on the floor, I will put Emilia on your lap. Hold her head here, that's good, and hold the bottle...and take it out to give her a breathing break every few seconds. There, you're feeding her!"

Everyone watched while Jenny held Emilia in the homemade quilt and hummed to her. Emilia gladly drank from her bottle and looked up at Jenny.

"You are sweet sweet sweetie little baby like me. We both have been born with Down Syndrome. It's like a disability, sometimes, but it's just always makes you special."

Emmie smiled.

Ron and Hermione may not have gotten any concrete answers about Emilia's future or her unique magic, but somehow, they felt a great deal better.


End file.
